Flying Scotsman
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 23.8% ABV ∙
The Flying Scotsman is a stirred classic built on blended Scotch, sweet vermouth, simple syrup, and aromatic bitters, served in a rocks glass. Rich notes of dark dried fruit and a warm baking spice edge ride over a robust, malty backbone, finishing with a bright citrus lift — a contemplative sipper.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 50 mlRosso vermouth 45 mlSugar syrup 5 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice)
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before building so the drink doesn't lose its temperature the moment it's strained over ice.
- Stir until well-chilled, then strain over a large cube — the bigger ice melts slower and keeps the drink from thinning out.
- Express the orange twist over the surface right before serving so the oils sit on top rather than fading into the stir.
History
The Flying Scotsman is a Scotch whisky cocktail first published by Harry Craddock in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, credited to his tenure at the American Bar of London's Savoy Hotel. It takes its name from the Flying Scotsman, the celebrated express train service linking London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, whose locomotive was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway. Some accounts describe the drink as having been served to first-class passengers aboard the train's own onboard cocktail bar, which was added in the early 1930s, though this connection is presented as tradition rather than a documented fact of the recipe's creation.
FAQ
What is a Flying Scotsman?
The Flying Scotsman is a stirred cocktail made from blended Scotch whisky, sweet (rosso) vermouth, sugar syrup, and aromatic bitters, strained over ice and finished with an orange twist. It sits in the same stirred, spirit-forward family as a Manhattan or Rob Roy, but built around Scotch instead of rye or bourbon.
What is in a Flying Scotsman?
Blended Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, a touch of sugar syrup, and aromatic bitters, stirred with ice and strained into a glass over a large ice cube. It's garnished with an expressed orange twist.
Is a Flying Scotsman shaken or stirred?
Stirred. All the ingredients are spirit or spirit-like, so stirring chills and dilutes the drink gently while keeping it clear, rather than aerating and clouding it the way a shake would.
What glass is a Flying Scotsman served in?
An old-fashioned glass, over a large ice cube or block, which keeps the drink cold without diluting it too quickly.
How strong is a Flying Scotsman?
It comes in at about 23.8% ABV, making it a solid spirit-forward sipper, though gentler than an all-spirit stirred drink thanks to the vermouth and syrup in the mix.
